The National Park Service is beginning to excavate the mouth of an unexplored cave in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and researchers believe it could help broaden our understanding of how the region’s climate has changed over thousands of years.

Vacationers might be interested in visiting one of these under-the-radar national parks to get away from the large crowds and heavy traffic in the most popular parks, like Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.

Two 20-foot-deep disposal pits opened in western South Dakota on Monday to help ranchers dispose of tens of thousands of livestock carcasses piling up since an early October blizzard decimated herds. Up to 4 feet of snow fell in the Black Hills area during the storm, killing at least 10,000 to 20,000 head of livestock, state officials say. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association estimates this part of the state lost at least 5 percent of its cattle, which is mostly raised for beef. Normally, the federal government would provide financial assistance to ranchers in a crisis of this magnitude, but the farm bill expired during the government shutdown.